6 Chapter Six

I had pleaded with Dad all of Sunday evening to let me stay off school on Monday, so that I could be there to meet the representatives from the Canadian pack when they arrived. He refused, obviously. The day hadn't been too bad, but now I was sitting in my final class of the day, watching the clock tick by each second.

Ray agreed that Henry and I could go to headquarters after school. What that really meant was, once all the serious discussions were over, we could go and learn little titbits that made us think we had been included. Neither of us expected to be told the entire situation, but we would take what we could get.

As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of the day, I tossed my books and stationary into my bag and hurried to the classroom door. I made it just to the end of the corridor before someone shouted my name, and I turned to see Carter waving at me from his locker.

"Hey Carter, sorry I'm actually in a bit of a rush."

"Oh okay, no worries. I brought my truck today... do you need a ride somewhere?" He asked.

At that moment, Henry appeared behind him, and shot me a look that said 'hurry up'. He had been just as anxious as me to get back to headquarters and find out what was happening. "You ready, Maddie?" He asked.

Carter turned around at Henry's voice, and then glanced at me. A look that I couldn't quite decipher passed over his face briefly, before his usual polite smile replaced it. "Yo Barton. Well, I guess I'll see you around, Madison." He gave a quick wave before heading off in the direction of the exit.

Henry turned to watch him walk away, his lips pursed in confusion. "Did I interrupt something?"

I hitched my bag up higher on my shoulder and shook my head. "Erm... not really. He was just offering me a ride." I shrugged. "He probably just had somewhere to be. Come on, let's go find out what is going on at home."

*

Driving up the dirt road, nervousness started to settle over me. I still hadn't told Henry what I had overheard over the weekend and now, as he tapped steering wheel, I felt even more guilty. He was pretending not to be freaked out about what could be going on, and that it was just a bit of drama, something interesting to shake up the long Maine winters.

I knew better though. The tapping on the steering wheel was just a sign of his anxiety. He was worried. Ray's reaction, and his secretiveness, had Henry on edge.

I tried not to think about the fact that I could have forewarned him about what was coming. It wouldn't have helped anyway. I really did not know much, and he would have wanted, no needed, to know more. He wouldn't have been able to keep quiet about what we knew, and then my Dad would have found out I was eavesdropping. This way was best. Maybe Ray would tell us more than we were expecting, and I would never have to admit to Henry that I knew for two whole days before him and said nothing.

And if that wasn't the case? Well... honestly I didn't know. I would figure that out later.

The cabin came into view as the car rumbled along the dirt road, and before long we were pulling to a stop in front of it. There was a blue Toyota RAV4 parked behind my Dad's car; it didn't belong to any of the pack and, once out of the car, it was clear it belonged to our Canadian visitors. There was the unmistakeable scent of wolf all around it.

Henry gave it only a cursory glance as he strode passed, but I stopped to investigate more. I got as close as I could without actually touching it, and inhaled deeply. Three scents, all male.

"There's three of them." I said to Henry, who was waiting at the bottom of the steps leading up to the door.

"We would have found that out as soon as we went inside." He mumbled, and I could see that he was making a conscious effort not to roll his eyes. For someone who was always so eager to be involved in pack business, he didn't use his werewolf senses nearly as much as he should. I was the better tracker, because I took moments like this and studied my surroundings. Henry, on the other hand, would barge straight in and deal with the consequences later.

I sighed, "Yes, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared." My voice was more curt than I had intended, but I didn't apologise. Instead, I just stepped passed him and pushed open the front door. He followed me in without responding, letting the door slam shut behind him.

We could hear the low murmur of voices, but without really stopping to listen, I could not make out what they were saying. Down the hall, the door to the den was closed. We approached, and Henry lifted his arm to knock on the door, to announce our arrival and await permission to enter. That was a sign of respect; if the door was closed at headquarters, then the Alpha was conducting important business. You should not enter without being invited.

We didn't have to wait long before Ray's voice called out that we could come in, and Henry pushed the door open before stepping back to let me step through into the room first.

The room was fairly dark; the wood panelling of the cabin walls already made the entire place naturally dark, and it was lit only by a floor lamp in the corner, which threw a yellow glow across the room. The curtains were not drawn but, at after 4pm, night had already started to fall.

My eyes quickly surveyed the room, my wolf senses automatically identifying where the potential threats were. Three guys sat on the sofa underneath the window, facing into the room and directly across from where Henry and I now stood in the doorway.

"Henry, Madison." Ray addressed us in greeting. "Please come on in."

We stepped further into the room, which was lined with sofas and armchairs right around every wall. It wasn't huge, so really that just meant a sofa on each wall with a couple of armchairs in the spaces between. That might seem strange, but we didn't have much use for a TV. If the pack was gathered together then it was usually for business, or just hanging out. We actually did the latter more often than the former, because there was not much trouble in our territory. Wolves were pack animals, and enjoyed being together. The same goes for werewolves. We enjoyed each others company, and didn't need the distraction of modern technology to tolerate being around each other. So the den had been transformed into somewhere we could all hang out together and relax.

We headed over to the empty sofa and sat down. Henry sat forward, his elbows on his knees in an attempt to look more threatening. I glanced at Ray, who had a hint of amusement in his eyes at the display of adolescent masculinity, and I stifled a laugh.

"Right, now that we are all here." Ray said, "As you are aware, there is a bit of a situation over the border. This is Aiden, the Alpha of the pack in Canada." He gestured towards a man that appeared to be roughly in his early fifties. He had short brown hair, and a thick beard and moustache. He nodded in our direction in greeting, but did not add anything further to the introduction, so Ray continued. "Mason." He gestured to the man sat beside Aiden, who looked about the same age. "And Lincoln."

The last guy was much younger, he looked in his early twenties. He was stood behind Aiden, and he had a scowl on his face that could give Henry a run for his money. He was tall, and the t-shirt that he was wearing was so tight that you could practically see the muscles rippling underneath it. And, to complete the stereotypical 'straight from the cover of a magazine' model look, he was blonde and had the most piercing blue eyes. They were actually quite mesmerizing.

I tore my eyes away from Lincoln to look around at a movement to my side, and watched as Henry stood up from his seat on the sofa and headed over to flank Ray. Honestly, looking at Lincoln, I could see why Henry would feel threatened.

Ray didn't react to Henry suddenly deciding to be his loyal guard dog. This may have been a meeting to discuss an alliance, but it was also an opportunity to learn more about each other, which included any weaknesses. Henry was tall, like his Dad, and all the years of playing basketball had already awarded him a fine physique, even before his first change. He looked years older than seventeen, and the scowl that spread across his face as he crossed his arms over his chest made him look way more aggressive than he actually was.

"Hey." The guy Ray had introduced as Mason said, and offered a small, polite smile. He was apparently giving the greeting for all three of them. Aiden and Lincoln did not seem in the mood to make small talk. I gave a small wave and a smile back. Henry didn't react at all, instead continuing to stare down the visitors.

The tension between Henry and Lincoln was palpable, and I swear you could practically smell the testosterone.

"Jackson, Joe and Michael. Can you please take our guests outside?" He looked over at Aiden then. "You must be sick of being indoors now, we've been in here all day."

We waited a few minutes for the room to clear out, and the back door to bang shut behind them as they stepped out onto the back porch. Then Ray stood up and walked into the centre of the room, pacing up and down the empty space.

I looked over at my Dad, who gave me a weak smile, sensing my anxiety.

Ray cleared his throat then, and I turned to look at him. "The situation is more dire than we originally anticipated." He paused then, looking between me and Henry. "We have agreed to align with the Canadian pack to deal with a problem that could cause... issue for all werewolves not only here, but internationally." He paused again, as if giving us time to digest what he was saying. I gulped, panic surging through me at what Ray was about to say, but I tried to keep my face impassive.

Henry lost his patience. "Ray, what is going on?" His voice was tight as he attempted to keep his irritation at bay.

"There has been a string of killings across the country. Suspected animal attacks..." Ray explained. "Aiden's pack has been tracking them for the last month, since it started to appear less likely to be random animal attacks. There has been four more since they started investigating, and the scent around each body was the same. Werewolf." He started pacing again, and Henry turned to look at me. I didn't meet his eyes, instead focusing on Ray. "There were multiple scents on each body, but none that they recognise, and so they can't pin down the killers. It may be a lone wolf, or a group of rogues."

When Ray stopped, it was Henry who spoke again. I didn't dare ask any questions in case my voice gave away the fact that I already knew. I snuck a look at Henry then, and the look on his face made my heart ache for not telling him. He was trying to hide it, but I knew him well enough, and the look on his face was panic. It wasn't panic for himself though... it never was. He would run head first into danger without even a fleeting thought for his own safety. Right now though? His eyes were flicking between his Dad and Ray, and I knew he was worrying about what his Dad was going to have to do.

"So what does that have to do with us?" He asked.

Dan looked at his son, before walking towards him and placing a hand on his arm. "Son, we have to go and help with the investigation. Ray and Travis have experience in this, after helping track down the rogue that was biting folk in New York."

"What about Mom and Cady?" Henry asked quietly, "They need you around, Dad. I'll go."

"No." Ray's voice came calm and steady, but undeniably authoritative. "You are not of age, Henry. You are not at your full strength and I will not risk anything happening to you or Madison."

"I'm almost eighteen!"

"You are still a child."

Henry's jaw set at that, but he shut up, fixing Ray with a hard stare. Dan broke the silence that had fallen.

"Henry, son, I need you to be here to watch over your Mom and Cady, and Robbie trusts you to look out for Maddie." I bit my tongue from exclaiming that I could take care of myself. They all knew that, but Henry needed to think that he was doing something important. That he wasn't just sitting at home doing nothing whilst his Dad risked his life. "Between us and Aiden's pack, we will find these rogues and take them down in no time. This will all be over by Cady's birthday, I promise."

"I know this is difficult." Ray said, his voice softening now. "But if we don't help? And this spreads down over the border?" He shook his head. "We need to eliminate this threat before it comes anywhere near our people. Before long, the authorities are going to realise that this is not a bunch of random animal attacks and start looking for other explanations. It's an exposure risk."

Dad spoke then, "Maddie? You haven't said much. How are you feeling about it?"

I shrugged. "I... I understand why you have to help." I said weakly. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow." Ray announced. "We can't risk waiting."

I nodded and glanced at Henry. That look was still on his face, but it was also mixed with anger. He didn't say anything else, but instead he stalked out of the room. Dan rushed after him. I looked up at Ray, expecting him to be angry at Henry's act of disrespect, walking out of a meeting before being dismissed. I didn't see anything there other than understanding, though. Henry was frightened for his family, and that wasn't a crime. I was worried about my Dad, too.

As if reading my mind, my Dad chose that moment to announce that we should be heading home so that he could pack a bag.

Once in the car, he turned to me. "So, now that we are alone, what are you really thinking, cub?" He asked.

I sighed. "Honestly, Dad? I am terrified. If anything happens to you..."

"I want to say nothing will happen to me, Mads. But you and I both know what our world is like, and things happen. What I do know, though, is if anything did happen to me? As long as I go down taking out this asshole before he can do anything to endanger my little girl? Then that's fine with me." He smiled at me then. "You know I have to do this. Ryan is in London and can't get home, and Jackson has never really dealt with anything like this yet, so he needs guidance. Canada is a big place and we need as many guys out there as we can get."

"I know. I just wish that I could help."

Dad squeezed my shoulder. "You will help me by going to school, being a teenager and staying alive, Maddie. That's all that matters to me."

"Do you think Henry will be okay?"

He sighed then, and paused for a moment. "I think it was just a shock, you know? Nothing like this has happened in years... But he will calm down, once he has had time to process it."

I nodded, and then leaned back against the headrest, closing my eyes against the headache that I could feel forming.

I could have warned him. I could have told him two days ago what I heard, and he would have had time to think about it before he found out that his Dad was going to be leaving on potentially life threatening pack business. He had held it together in the meeting as best he could but...

I was a terrible friend. And if he ever found out that I had kept this from him? Even if I did do it for his own good? He would never forgive me.